


Living twice isn't just a Potter thing

by Awkward_bean_sky



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death, Dead People, Death, Getting Together, Multi, Presumed Dead, Reviving, Tags Contain Spoilers, Talking To Dead People, Temporary Character Death, cheating death, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22771837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awkward_bean_sky/pseuds/Awkward_bean_sky
Summary: Sirius black died at the age of 18. Remus Lupin is fresh out of school and trying to cope without a job and the loss of one of his best friends. While stumbling around a local forest, Remus hit his head and Sirius Black returns as a ghost. Issue is, only Remus can see him and they have no idea how to revive him.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 31





	Living twice isn't just a Potter thing

Life hadn't been easy the last couple of months, ever since Remus, James and Peter had finished school. James and Lily had moved in together, both taking permanent positions in the Order. Peter had basically dissapeared from the face of Earth and Remus... Well, Remus didn't know what to do with his life. He couldn't get a job, in neither the magical nor the muggle world. Most of his days were spent counting the little money he had left, doing tasks for the Order and trying to get small part time jobs in the muggle world. He had gotten a little money from his deceased parents, which he had been given access to once he had turned 18. Now he spent the little money he had on booze and cigarettes.

And if the money wasn't enough, he stole whatever he needed. It's not like he hadn't done that before. Growing up in a boys home with little to no money taught you a thing or two. Things you might not actually wanna know, but that come in handy in situations like this.

Right now Remus was walking through one of the local forests in the muggle town he had been staying at. He was lazily sipping on a bottle of whiskey he had snatched from a group of teens earlier. His life really was sad. 

Remus couldn't dwell long on the thoughts of how his life had gone to shit, despite having passed nearly all his exams with the highest marks in their year, because he stumbled over a large stone and fell flat on his face.

"Fucking hell", he groaned, rubbing at the side of his head. Most of the booze had spilled out onto the leaves. "Jesus Christ, where am I getting new whiskey?" He flipped onto his back and stared up at the tree tops. Everything was out of focus.

"Maybe you should get up, before worrying about getting pissed", said a voice from a few feet away. Remus sat up quickly, hand grabbing his wand in his coat pocket. Not that he would be able to cast anything with his vision swimming before his eyes.

He shut his eyes and groaned, rubbing his head. "The fuck do you want?", he mumbled, getting up and dusting off his clothing. 

"Well that's no way to greet an old friend, is it now, Moony?", said the voice, the leaves crunching as a person walked closer.

Remus halted in his movement and looked up. He was faced with Sirius Black grinning at him. Looking just like... just like he did before he had died. The brunette's eyes nearly fell out of his head and he stumbled backwards. "I must've gotten a concussion", he mumbled to himself as he stalked away.

"Wow, wow, wow, hey, there mate. Slow down", yelled Sirius, running to keep up with him. "I know I'm dead, you know I'm dead, _but_ we are both wizards. Death is nothing that stops us", he said, walking backwards in front of the other.

Remus stopped in his tracks. The wheels in his brain started turning as he stared at his _dead_ friend on front of him. Quickly he pulled out his wand.

"If you really are Sirius, tell me something only he could know", he said, threateningly pointing his wand. The black haired boy raised his hands in defense, grin never once leaving his face.

"Okay, geez, who got your knickers in a twist, Moony", he said teasingly. After a moment of consideration he started taking again, grin growing bigger. "Well, for one, you're a werewolf, not many people know that. Oh, and you used to crawl into my bed at night whenever you had nightmares until we were 16. And-"

"Okay, okay, I believe you. Geez", said Remus, blushing softly and putting his wand away again. "But how are you here. You... You died. I saw your dead body. I was at your _funeral_."

At that Sirius smile slipped away and he looked away. "Yeah, right, I'm dead. I still think I'm dead", he said, looking at his hands as if to make sure he actually existed. "I think I'm a ghost?" As if to prove a point, he tried touching Remus' shoulder and his hand went straight through him. "Yep, a ghost. Still dead", he mumbled, not seeming fazed at all.

Remus raked his hands through his hair and started walking again. "Fuck. Shit. I need to- I need to go somewhere. Talk to someone. I actually lost my sanity. Fuck-", he mumbled, trying to remember where the next telephone box was.

Sirius walked faster to keep up with his long strides. "Okay, Rem, calm down. Where do you live?", he asked, trying to reach out to comfort his friends. His hand just went straight through him.

"I... I'm homeless. I sometimes sleep at the headquarters, but-"

"What the fuck! You're homeless? Does Prongs know about this? He literally is oozing with money and you're homeless?", spat Sirius.

Remus halted, before walking even faster. "I can call James. Lily knows a thing or two about medicine. She might be able to tell if I have a concussion", he mumbled more to himself than anyone else.

Soon enough he found a phone box, threw in some coins and quickly dialed the home number of the Potter-Evan's household.

After four rings the phone was picked up. "Hello? Who's there?", asked a soft voice.

"Hey, Lils, it's me, Remus", he said, awkwardly coughing. "I know I usually don't call but... um... I fell and I think I might have a concussion. I'm seeing... things." He let the sentence fade out as he stared at Sirius leaning against the wall next to the stall.

"Right, okay, I'm coming to get you. Where are you?", asked Lily.

Remus gave her the address and stepped out of the box again. Sirius looked up at him as he set down on the wall next to him. "Are you gonna go to the Potter's place?", he asked.

Remus nodded as he lied down on the wall. "Yeah, Lily is gonna pick me up. Probably by car. Or apperation, I really don't know", he mumbled, closing his eyes.  
_____

Soon enough a car turned around the corner and came to stop a few feet away. Remus didn't bother opening his eyes, already knowing it was Lily.

"You look like shit, Lupin", said the women, standing in front of him and peering down at him.

Remus opened his eyes and sat up. "It's good to see you too, Evans", he said, small smile tugging at his lips as the ginger haired girl sat down next to him.

She pulled out a packet of cigarettes and wordlessly handed him one while lighting her own with wandless magic. They sat there silently for a while.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened or will I have to force it out of you?", Lily asked after a while, turning to face him.

Remus sighed and rubbed his nose bridge. "I was walking around the forest", he said, pointing towards the forest on the other side of the road. "I fell and hit my head pretty hard."

Lily nodded, grabbing his face and looking at the scratch on his cheek and checking his eyes. "Well, you've got a scratch on your cheek and it seems like there might be some bruising tomorrow. Your pupils aren't dilated. Did you vomit?", she asks, releasing his face again.

Remus shook his head. Lily looked him over again, her eyebrows creasing in worry. "You don't have a concussion, but, Remus, when was the last time you ate something?", she asked, picking up his hand and examining it.

Remus swallowed heavily and looked away. He wanted to pull his hand away, the woman's touch feeling too warm. "I... I don't know. A couple of days ago?", he said with uncertainty, his voice shaking softly.

Lily's green eyes burned holes into the side of his face. "Do you know where you're going to stay tonight?", she asked.

"Lily..."

"Remus."

" _I don't know_ ", sighed the brunette, not daring to look at his friend.

"You said on the phone that you saw something", Lily said softly. "What did you see?"

Remus didn't respond. His vision became blurry and he quickly wiped away the tears spilling from his eyes. "I...", his voice became choked up. "I saw Sirius." His gaze wandered over to where Sirius was sitting and staring at him. The boy looked torn, as if he wanted to reach out and hold him, but knew he couldn't.

The woman carefully placed her hand on his arm. "Remus...", she said, pity in her eyes and voice as she looked over to where he was looking at. "No one is there. I know his death has been hard on you, but-"

Remus shook his head. "Lily, you don't understand. I thought I had a concussion or that maybe it was some weird trick, but then I asked him to tell me something only he and I could know... And he responded with something no one besides him knew. He's also not really here, he's a ghost", he tried explaining.

Lily sat there thoughtfully. "Remus, are you drunk?", she asked after a while.

"Yeah...", he sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore, Lily. I just... _don't know_ "

"Let's go home. You're gonna eat a warm meal, have a good night's rest and then when you're sober again in the morning, we're going to talk about this", she said, pulling them both up. 

Remus didn't even complain as he was pulled into the car.  
_____

"You look like shit, Moony", said James as soon as Lily and Remus entered the house. As a response, Remus flipped him off and sat down on the sofa. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. 

Muffled voices came from the kitchen, but Remus tried to ignore it. Instead he dug out a book from his pocket and tried reading. If only his vision wasn't so blurry.

"You should talk to James about what happened", said a voice directly beside him. Remus didn't even bother looking over to know it was Sirius.

"Fuck off", he grumbled, rubbing his face and sighing heavily once again. 

"You okay there, mate?", asked James as he walked into the living room. He sat down on the armchair across of his friend. "Lily is cooking dinner. She said you'd be staying the night."

"Thanks for letting me stay", Remus replied, nervously fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "I didn't want to bother you, but I hit my head and now I'm seeing things."

James gave him a soft smile. "You can stay here for as long as you need to. You lost weight and look exhausted. Take a while to rest, okay?", he said, getting up again and walking back to the kitchen.  
_____

Dinner was a quiet affair. Remus ate three plates of soup, half the bread and two pieces of meat. He did feel a bad about eating so much, but he was practically starving.

After dinner, he took a shower. He couldn't even remember when he last had a proper shower, it must've been months already.

Lily lead him to the guest room and tucked him into bed, like he was a little kid. "How about you stay here for a few months? Until your 19th birthday at least", she asked softly, petting his hair.

Remus closed his eyes and hummed softly. "I think I would like that", he said with a soft smile, feeling warm, safe and content.

"We all care for you, Remus. There's no shame in asking for a little help from time to time", she explained, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Now get some sleep and we'll talk about everything in the morning." She got up and quietly exited the room. 

Remus was about to fall asleep, when suddenly someone spoke. "I'm really sorry", said Sirius, sitting down on the bed. "I'm sorry for everything that has happened. I'm sorry for dying and leaving you behind like this. I'm sorry that your life has been like this. I'm sorry-"

"Jesus fucking Christ, stop apologizing already", growled Remus, turning to face his friend. "It's not like you asked to be killed. Or that you personally threw me onto the street. None of this is your fault." 

"Besides, my life would be shitty, even if you were alive", he said, sounding defeated and exhausted. Why was the world so cruel? Stripping him of his childhood, his parents, his entire youth. Now he was just some scarred, homeless _kid_ with no future.

Sirius sighed and lied down. He reached out for Remus hand and even though he couldn't touch him, it felt comforting in that moment. "If I were alive, Remus, we would be living together. I would've never allowed this."

Remus tried to believe that was true, that his life would be different with Sirius alive and by his side. "Are you going to sleep here?", he asked, closing his eyes again.

"I'm not sure if I actually can sleep, but I definitely will stay here with you", replied the black haired boy, curling up against Remus. 

And in that moment, just before they fell asleep, it felt like everything was normal. Sirius was in Remus' bed, just like it had been back at Hogwarts and it nearly felt like they were touching. This is what their life should've been like.  
_____

The hangover the next day nearly killed Remus. It had been a few days since he had last been 100% sober and it showed. His head was pounding. He just so made it to the bathroom fast enough to throw up in the toilet. 

"Good job, Lupin, the first proper meal you had in weeks and you vomited it out", he grumbled as he slumped over the toilet seat.

He got up, rinsed out his mouth and made his way back to the bedroom. Lily must've stolen his clothes from yesterday night, because now they were clean and neatly folded on the bed. 

Remus quickly got changed, making sure that Sirius was still asleep, before making his way downstairs. 

"Good morning, Remus", said Lily as he entered the kitchen and slumped into a chair. She handed him a cup of coffee and he pretended not to notice her slipping a pepper up potion into it.

"Sirius is still there", he sighed, chugging the scalding hot coffee, before digging into the eggs and bacon he had been offered. They sat there in silence while Remus ate. 

"I did some reading yesterday evening after you went to bed", Lily started after a while. "There have been cases of wizards seeing deceased loved ones, if they had a strong emotional bond before death. Maybe some of them had gone insane, who knows, but I don't think you're insane."

Remus sat there silently, mulling over the thought. "How can we be sure though? I asked him questions only he and I knew the answer to, but _I_ know the answers. So how do I know wether it really is him or if he's just a figment of my imagination?", Remus asked, full of doubt.

Lily looked thoughtful, before her face lit up. "How about we ask him to tell you something only he and James knew?", she suggested. "That way we know it's not just a figment of your imagination."  
_____

Ten minutes later, they had explained the situation to James, who had sat down in a chair and looked very pale. Now Remus was tasked with waking the ghost up.

He softly knocked on the door of the guest room and cracked the door open. Sirius was still asleep on the bed, sprawled out like a starfish.

Remus took a moment to admire him. He looked so alive, so much like himself, but he wasn't really there. "Padfoot, wake up", he said softly and sat down on the bed.

The sleeping boy, groaned softly and opened his eyes and blinking a few times. He looked at Remus, slowly sitting up and yawning. "Good morning, Moony", he said, rubbing his eyes.

Instinctively Remus reached out to brush the hair out of his face, but his hand went straight through the other. He quickly pulled his hand away and looked away. "We want to make sure that you actually exist", he quickly said.

Sirius blinked a few times and tilted his head, looking full well like his dog self. "I thought we had already established that I exist", he said, looking more confused by the second.

Remus sighed, fighting his instinct to reach out to the boy. "We can only be sure that you aren't some death eater trap. But you told me things _I_ also knew. We want you to tell me a secret only you and Prongs knew and he can verify it", he explained, already getting up again.

Sirius got up after him and made his way downstairs, followed closely by Remus. They sat down on the sofa, while James sat in the armchair and Lily stood behind him.

"Okay, Sirius, I'm sure Remus already explained this, but we want you to tell him something only you and James can know", said Lily in a calm voice, vaguely looking in the right direction.

Sirius pouted, but turned to Remus, who looked slightly nervous, none the less. He thought about it for a few seconds, before a grin spread over his face and he launched into the story. "Okay, how about this. One time in fifth year I walked in on Prongs making out with that Ravenclaw girl, you know, the seeker? She had her hand down his pants and-"

"Jesus, Pads, stop! I don't want to hear the details!", Remus interfered, blushing softly. "Maybe a story that I can say out loud while Lily is present?"

Sirius laughed softly, while James looked mortified and Lily very much curious. "You're such a prude, Moony. You're never going to get laid like that", teased the black haired boy with a grin on his face.

The brunette rolled his eyes. "I'm not a prude, you asshole. You're just gross. Now tell me something that is PG or I'm just going to assume you don't know anything."

At that Sirius sat up straighter and his teasing facade fell. He chewed on his bottom lip. "Okay, this is something no one aside from Prongs and I know", he started. "Back in fourth year, I spent the winter break at the Potter's. One night we snuck out and stole some alcohol. We spent the whole night out and he pierced my ears. His mother found out about it when we tried sneaking in again and we both were grounded for the rest of the break."

Remus turned to James and Lily, clearing his throat. "He... uh... he told me a about winter break in fourth year. He said that you snuck out, got drunk, you pierced his ears, then you both got caught and were grounded for the rest of the break", he recited the story.

James looked at him, wide eyed, before Lily touched his shoulder softly. "That did happen, yeah", he said, his throat feeling dry. He leaned forward in his seat and looked at the space where Sirius was sitting.

"Can you tell us another story?", he asked softly, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

Sirius looked at James, looking at him with so much emotion. "Back when we were 13, I got a letter from my mother. I cried the whole night and James found me in the bathroom. He stayed up with me until dawn", he said with a soft smile on his face.

While Remus was reciting the story, James started crying. "Holy fuck, holy shit. Sirius... Sirius is here!", he said through cries as he got up to pace around the room.

"What are we going to do now?", Remus asked, looking from James to Lily to Sirius.  
_____

The next few days were spent hunched over books and trying to see if Sirius could have any affect on the real world. As it turns out, he could be heard if he jumped and he could move objects slightly if he ran through them.

Lily had been reading through old potion books, trying to find something about the resurrection of ghosts and the like.

James had been trying to see Sirius. So far, no one aside from Remus could see him. The two of them spent most of their days sitting in the same room, trying to communicate.

"I just don't get it", groaned James one evening as they all ate dinner. "Padfoot was my best mate. And like, no offense Moony, but him and I were always so close, like brothers. I'm not saying that you two weren't close, but I just don't get it", he mumbled.

"Maybe you should tell him we kissed", Sirius said, leaning over Remus shoulder. His touch still wasn't completely there, but his hands didn't go through Remus anymore and it felt like a wind breeze against his skin. 

Remus chocked on the water he had been drinking and Lily clapped him on the back heavily. "Fuck off, Pads!", he said between coughs.

Sirius laughed and plopped down on a chair that had been deemed his a couple of days ago. It was too big of a risk for anyone to accidentally sit "in" him. 

"Oh, please, Moony. Don't pretend like you don't remember", he said in a teasing voice. "James and I are close like brothers, but we were a _lot_ closer."

Remus glared at him. "What did he say?", James asked, looking curious at the exchange. 

"Come on, tell him", said Sirius. "Tell him that you're gay and made out with his brother. I'm sure that's an interesting story."

Remus stood up, his chair nearly falling over. "You're actually a fucking asshole, Black", he hissed before rushing out of the room. He made his way to the garden, grabbing a pack of cigarettes on the way.  
_____

The quiet outside didn't last long. Soon enough the door opened behind him and someone stepped into the porch next to him. "Please, don't ask", he said before the person could even speak.

"I wasn't gonna", said James as he came to stand beside him. He grabbed a cigarette from the pack and lit it with an offered lighter.

They stood there is silence for a while, before James stomped out his cigarette and turned to face him. "What secret did Pads tell you the other day? The one you wouldn't say in front of Lily", he asked.

Remus blushed softly and looked away. "He told me that he caught you making out with a Ravenclaw girl in fifth year", he mumbled.

James laughter softly and shook his head. "Of course he told you about that", he said with a soft smile on his face. "In my defense, she was really pretty."

"She was", said Remus softly, looking into the distance.

"Do you know why you're the only one who can see Sirius?", James eventually asked, looking off into the distance as well.

Remus didn't reply for a long time, just standing in the cold, smoking his cigarette. "I think I was just at the right place at the right time", he eventually said.

James wrapped an arm around the taller boys shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. "You're holding up great with all this shit going on. I'm proud of you, Moony", he whispered.  
_____

Later that night, Remus was reading a book he borrowed from Lily, comfortably seated on the couch while doing so. It was quiet, Lily and James had gone out on Order business and Sirius had wandered off.

Well, it was quiet, until Sirius Black returned. He stood at the front door, looking at Remus like he had been caught selling drugs by his teacher. "Hey, Moony", he said with an awkward wave and unsure grin.

"Sirius", replied the brunette without even looking up from the book. He did stop reading though.

"I wanted to apologize", Sirius started, walking over to the arm chair and sitting down. "I know we never actually talked about what happened on your 18th birthday and it was shitty to bring it up."

Remus sighed and put his book away. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. And it's not like we actually had the chance to speak about it since... you died shortly after", Remus said, rubbing his nose bridge.

The silence that settled between them was heavy with unspoken words. Remus looked at his friend again. "It's been nearly a year since you died", he managed to bring out. "I don't know how I even coped. I guess I didn't, really, I threw myself into exams, Order business and alcohol. I just couldn't stop _blaming_ myself for what happened." His voice became shaky and he had to blink away tears.

"Remus", Sirius said and got up, sitting down next to the brunette and taking his hand in his own. "This isn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything to stop this. You didn't kill me, my mother did. And I'm so sorry all of this happened."

Remus threw himself at Sirius and clutched him close to his chest. The touch was getting more and more solid by the day. They just sat there for a while, Remus silently crying and Sirius trying to soothe him.

"Have you ever wondered what if..."

"...We had actually talked about the kiss?"

Another silence settled over them. 

Remus pulled back and took the older boy's hands in his own. "Sirius... would you- do you... do you like me? Because I like you and-"

"Shut up, Moony", laughed Sirius, smile on his face as he leaned in to kiss the other.

It was weird. The touch seemed to get more solid the longer they kissed. It felt so real. They still pulled apart way too quickly in Remus opinion.

"God, I don't know what I'll do if we can't revive you", whispered Remus, brushing a strand of hair out of Sirius face. "I don't think I'd be able to keep going, knowing that you are here."

The black haired boy wrapped his arms around the taller boys neck. "Stop worrying so much, smart ass. Everything will turn out the way it's supposed. And then we'll be together for real and I'll kiss you all day long. _And_ we will get a flat together", he whispered before kissing him again.  
_____

The next morning brought some surprises. Remus and Sirius woke up in a tangle of limbs, sheets and long black hair. Remus tried brushing the hair out of his face, but one of his hands was pinned underneath Sirius' body and the other one was intertwined with the other's hand.

"Sirius, wake up", mumbled the brunette.

No response.

"Padfoot."

There was a groan as a response and Sirius shoved his head deeper into the pillow.

"Get your lazy bum up, I need to pee."

"Then die", muttered the black haired, voice muffled by the pillow he had just shoved his head in.

Remus wiggled out of the death grip, muttering a few insults under his breath, as he shuffled towards the door towards the bathroom. 

He had just flushed the toilet and was washing his hands, when a scream nearly startled him to death. He rushed out of the bathroom and saw James standing in front of the opened door to the guest room, hands covering half his face.

"What happened?", asked Lily, who just ran up the stairs. She looked into the bedroom past James and her eyes widened. "Holy fuck", she muttered, hand gripping the railing.

"What? What happened?", Remus asked, peering into the room. He didn't see anything weird. Sirius had fallen asleep again, head still shoved into the pillow. "There is nothing there aside from Pads- holy fuck! Can you see him!"

Lily and James nodded, still staring at the sleeping boy with wide eyes and utter shock written over their face. Remus rushed into the room, jumping on the bed and hitting Sirius shoulder. "Pads, wake up!", he yelled excitedly. "Prongs and Lily can see you!"

"What?", mumbled Sirius, lifting his head up and blinking through a mess of hair. He yawned, sat up and turned to the door. "Why are they looking at me like that? Does my hair look that bad?"

"Padfoot, you absolute moron", said James, bouncing into the room and trying to tackle Sirius in a hug, but going straight through him. He landed on the bed with a groan and quickly sat up again. "Okay, you're still a ghost, but we can see and hear you!"

"Holy fuck!", Sirius yelled and tackled Remus in a hug, causing both of them to falling off the bed with a loud thud.

"Wait, does this mean I can't walk around naked anymore?", asked the black haired as he sat up on the floor.

Lily made gagging noises, James laughed and Remus hit his shoulder softly. "Yes this means you can't walk around naked anymore", he said grinning.

"Oh, Moony, what will you do without the glory of my ass blessing your eyes?", Sirius said dramatically, draping himself over Remus in an even more dramatic fainting gesture.

"Fuck off", laughed the brunette.  
_____

Their research efforts became even more over the next few weeks. Though, in all honesty, three teens trying to revive a ghost had never been a good idea, especially if they were actually capable of magic.

"I think I found something", Lily said late one evening, slamming down a book down on the table in front of Remus.

The brunette startled, stifled a yawn and tried to focus on the page. It was a potion that was supposed to revive things from the dead. "Do you really think that would work?", he asked, looking at the ginger with uncertainty.

Lily just rolled her eyes at him. "It's worth a try at least", she said, elbowing James awake and shoving the book under his nose to read.

The black haired man read the book after yawning and nodded softly. "This might work. I think we actually have everything we need for the potion", he said and got up to look through the cabinets.

The rest of the evening was spent chopping up ingredients and putting them into a huge cauldron. Sirius was watching from the side lines, still not being able to properly touch anything.

It took them until dawn to put everything together, before they sat the cauldron to shimmer for 24 hours. 

"Do you think it'll work?", Sirius asked, nervously biting ok his lip as he looked at his friends.

"Everything will work out, Pads", replied Remus, pulling the other in for a half hug, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. "Even if this doesn't work, we won't stop looking for a solution. No matter how long it takes."

Lily and James nodded along. "Yeah, mate, we'll find a solution. If everything goes sideways, we'll ask Dumbledore for help", James agreed.  
_____

The next day was filled with anxiety for everyone, mostly caused by Sirius nervously pacing the house all day long. He spent hours staring at the cauldron as if trying to will it to brew faster.

After what felt like days full of agony, the potion was finally done. They all sat on the floor, around the kettle while Lily poured a bit of the potion into a bowel and added the last few ingredients needed.

Sirius drank the drink as quickly as possible, nearly vomiting it all up again once he's finished. "Merlin's pants that was fucking disgusting", he muttered wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Everyone just looked at him and waited. They didn't know what to expect. Maybe some smoke or a reaction from Sirius, honestly just something.

"Well, did it work?", James asked. "Do you feel any different, Pads? Anything at all?"

Sirius looked at his own hands, turning them over before touching his face. "I- I don't know. I don't feel any different, but how can we be sure if anything changed?", he asked.

Lily reached out, trying to see if her hand would pass through Sirius' shoulder. It didn't. Her hand bumped against his very much warm and very much solid shoulder.

"Holy fuck", Sirius muttered, getting up from the space on the floor he had been sitting on. He rushed over to the table and picked up a glass. He was able to pick it up. "I am human!"

After a moment of deafening silence, James, Lily and Remus all broke into matching cheers and rushed over to hug the boy. After nearly a year of believing they had lost one of their best friends, he finally was back.

"It's good to have you back, mate", said James after letting him go. Lily nodded in agreement, hanging onto James' arm with a content expression.

Sirius' smile grew even wider and he hugged Remus more tightly. "I am back, Moony", he whispered. "I am back."

"You are back", Remus said just as softly. "You came back to me. Now we can live together and everything will be just like it was supposed to be."

At that the black haired man smiled even more, honestly if that didn't stop soon, his face was literally going to split in half. He pressed a quick kiss to the brunette's lips. "Just like it's supposed to be."


End file.
